1) Field of the Invention
A fuel flow monitoring and alerting method for use with aircraft is provided. More particularly, an automatic engine fuel flow monitoring and alerting fuel leak detection method for use with aircraft is provided.
2) Description of Related Art
Fuel status and fuel consumption rates are of critical importance in the operation of aircraft engines. A precise indication of fuel supply allows pilots and flight crew to make informed decisions relating to flight plans and modifications thereof during the course of aircraft travel. Fuel leaks are a concern for aircraft on long haul missions. There have been incidents of fuel leaks that go undetected by the flight crew until effects of the leak are pronounced, such as missing fuel, and the leak is at a critical level. The flight crew must monitor numerous parameters in order to identify a fuel leak. Such close monitoring may not be practical for a long haul mission due to the pilot's or flight crew's workload. Pilot and flight crew monitoring is limited by various human factors such as fatigue and vigilance in monitoring. Known alert methods and devices on aircraft exist for detecting a tank leak or a leak upstream of the engine fuel flow meter. However, there are no known alerting methods for detecting and indicating a possible leak downstream of the fuel flow meter. The area downstream of the fuel flow meter is typically considered the fuel lines between the fuel flow meter and the fuel spray nozzles/combustor. Moreover, known fuel flow monitoring and alerting methods typically do not alert the pilot or flight crew of a fuel leak problem until it is too late to adequately solve the problem. Known fuel flow monitoring and alert methods for detecting a tank leak are typically annunciated with “Insufficient Fuel” displayed to the pilot or flight crew on the cockpit instrumentation display. Known fuel flow monitoring and alert methods for fuel leaks upstream of the fuel flow meter are typically annunciated with “Fuel Disagree” displayed to the pilot or flight crew on the cockpit instrumentation display. These alerts are often not annunciated until the problem has reached a critical level. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved automatic engine fuel flow monitoring and alerting fuel leak detection method for use with aircraft that does not have the problems associated with known systems and devices.